This year, Tonga DJ and one half of Halfbrother, Murkage Dave is releasing a new remix package, and there's also promise of an album later this year. The four-track release, entitled MD Blends, takes four iconic grime instrumentals—"Igloo", "Eskimo", "Oi" and "Gunman"—and combines them, via Star Slinger's blends, with some of his own tracks. The colourful artwork for the collection, which you can hear exclusively below, comes from Swedish artist Johanna Burai. Dave's mellow vocals and the gentle electronics contrast starkly but fit together surprisingly well against the rowdy grime riddims. In fact, the four tracks play out like someone returning to the old minidiscs and Channel U videos of their youth and looking back with a longing nostalgia.

"I grew up on pirate radio," Dave tells TRENCH. "It was the lifeblood of my teens, man. I used to tape my favourite sets and listen back when I was getting about East London on the buses. I worked in JD Sports in Stratford Mall on the weekends, and I remember one time Neeko from More Fire Crew coming in to buy creps. I just remember it feeling like a moment, you know, seeing someone like that who you would listen to all the time but in real life. It was a different time, I guess. Everything felt less connected then, before social media.

"Pirate radio was the one way you could connect. I still like to play the odd thing from that time in my DJ sets; partly for nostalgia, but also because there's tunes from that time that still stand up now. One time I started playing my song 'Put You On My Shoulders' at Tonga and I blended it with the 'Oi' instrumental just for fun. Everyone went nuts! It was such a crazy feeling. It gave me the idea to put together this pack, so I shouted my boy Star Slinger and got it done."

Dave and Hologram Lo (producer of "Put You On My Shoulders") are throwing a party on Saturday 17th February called La Niche. RSVP here to find out the venue.